Short reviews

Oliver C. Cox. RACE RELATIONS: ELEMENTS AND SOCIAL DYNAMICS. Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 1976, pp. 337, $17.50.

Emerich K. Francis ‐ INTERETHNIC RELATIONS: AN ESSAY IN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Inc., 1976, New York, Oxford, Amsterdam, £20.00. 432 pp., incl. Selected Bibliography and Index.

Tom G. Svensson, ETHNICITY AND MOBILIZATION IN SAMI POLITICS. Stockholm, University of Stockholm Studies in Social Anthropology No. 4, 1976. pp. 279, n.p.

Alphonso Pinkney, RED, BLACK, AND GREEN; BLACK NATIONALISM IN THE UNITED STATES. London, Cambridge University Press, 1976. pp. 270, £7.50.

David H. McKay, HOUSING AND RACE IN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY. London, Croom Helm, 1977. 193 pp., £7.50.

Gordon Bowker & John Carrier (Eds) RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS: SOCIOLOGICAL READINGS. London, Hutchinson, 1976, pp. 400, £3.95.

John Stone (Ed) RACE, ETHNICITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE: READINGS IN THE SOCIOLOGY OF RACE AND ETHNIC RELATIONS. California, Wadsworth, 1977, pp. 400, n.p.

Trevor R. Lee ‐ RACE AND RESIDENCE: THE CONCENTRATION AND DISPERSAL OF IMMIGRANTS IN LONDON. Oxford University Press, 1977. pp. 193, £6.95.     

Warlords,priests and the politics of ethnic cleansing: a case-study from rural Bosnia Hercegovina

There is a tendency among social scientists and others to interpret the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia Hercegovina as the result of a political policy carefully orchestrated from above and systematically carried out. Whatever eruptions of war violence might deviate from this interpretation are generally viewed as primitive balkanism, pointless acts, banditism or mental aberrations. Terms of this kind reflect an uncritical acceptance of a central or national leader perspective, dismissing as deviant everything that fails to go according to plan, and denying the significance of specific local and regional circumstances or failing at any rate to problematize and examine them. This article describes a process the final result of which can be seen as the ethnic homogenization of a region, but only part of its dynamics can be attributed to a policy implemented from above. Rather, its course can largely be traced back to local vendettas and a long-standing conflict between Franciscan friars and diocesan priests. The case illustrates that a systematic study "from below" is crucial to a better understanding of the dynamics and the developmental logic of the processes of ethnic cleansing. The article concludes with some theoretical thoughts which fit into the current debate on civilizing and decivilizing processes.     

Growing up in wartime: Evidence from the era of two world wars

We document the association between war-related shocks in childhood and adult outcomes for Europeans born during the first half of the twentieth century. Using a variety of data, at both the macro- and the micro-level, we address the following questions: What are the patterns of mortality among Europeans born during this period? Do war-related shocks in childhood and adolescence help predict adult health, human capital and wellbeing of the survivors? Are there differences by sex, socio-economic status in childhood, and age when the shocks occurred? At the macro-level, we show that the secular trend towards lower mortality was interrupted by dramatic increases in mortality during World War I, the Spanish Flu, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II, and we quantify the size of these mortality shocks. Different patterns characterize these high-mortality episodes, with substantial variation by country, sex and age group. At the micro-level, we show that war-related hardship in childhood or adolescence, in particular exposure to war events and experience of hunger, is associated with worse physical and mental health, education, cognitive ability and subjective wellbeing at older ages. The strength of the association differs by sex and type of hardship, with war exposure being more important for females and experience of hunger for males. We also show that hardships matter more if experienced in childhood, and have stronger consequences if they last longer.     

Precision dating of Cook’s Mill,a Civil War era structure in West Virginia

Dendroarchaeology can provide critical understanding of a structure built during key historic periods, such as the American Civil War (1861–1865), when historical documentation is likely to be sparse or incomplete. Cook’s Mill is located in Greenville, West Virginia and extensive information derived from deeds, court records, wills, and oral history places the present mill’s original construction in 1857. The American Civil War began shortly after its construction and military conflict in the area led to the burning of several key structures, one of which was an unknown mill in Greenville (formerly Centerville). Written history suggests the mill is original and survived the American Civil War, however we used dendroarchaeology to confirm its precise date of construction. We collected 46 samples from the mill and 6 cross sections from a nearby exhumed bridge for dendrochronological dating. The mill was constructed with white oak (Quercus alba) and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) logs and the bridge samples were white oak. We visually and statistically crossdated 32 white oak samples from the mill and bridge by comparing them to a local chronology developed for this study and two regional oak chronologies from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank. Based on terminal ring attributes and cutting date years we were able to provide a suggested construction date of the spring or early summer of 1868. This date suggests Cook’s Mill was the mill burned during military conflict in the area and that the current structure was subsequently rebuilt following the conclusion of the war.     

Proximity and Distance: Vietnamese Memories of the War with the USA

By employing an intergenerational perspective, this article examines the ways in which memories about the war between Vietnam and the USA are engraved in the social and individual body in a northern Vietnamese rural community. Throughout the 1990s, Vietnam and the USA attempted to improve their postwar relationship. The current atmosphere of coming to terms with a past of war through coexistence and reconciliation fosters ambivalences and ambiguities in young postwar generations. On the one hand, they have to reconcile themselves to the pain and bitterness caused by the war. On the other, they have to bridge the gap between themselves and their parents and grandparents concerning the extent to which they are able to ‘forget the past and look toward the future’, as one national postwar strategy recommends. The article thus highlights the complex ways in which war and postwar generations in local Vietnam attempt to remember and/or forget brutality, sorrow and anger, in order to come to terms with what in Vietnam is referred to as the American War.     

From colonial liberation to Cold War liberalism: Walter White,the NAACP,and Foreign Affairs, 1941–1955

With the USA's entry into World War II, international politics again commanded significant attention from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP]. Walter White, the NAACP's secretary, actively promoted an international solidarity movement to pressure the USA and European powers to commit to a world without colonies. The NAACP's participation in this movement lasted through to 1948. By 1951 White and his association had abandoned that solidarity, cut its ties with the African-American left, and embraced liberal anti-Communism. In exchange for this support, the NAACP received an unkept promise of influence in the formulation of domestic race relations policy. This article examines the foreign policy choices that the NAACP made between 1941 and 1955; the leadership styles that facilitated these choices; and the Cold War pressures on black America that helped push White and the NAACP into the liberal anti-communists’ camp.     

Premature Mortality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Associated with Particulate Matter Air Pollution from the 1991 Gulf War

The State of Kuwait oil fires and military operations associated with the 1991 Gulf War resulted in substantially increased levels of airborne particulate matter (PM) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) during 1991 and 1992. Using quantitative risk assessment methodology, this article estimates the increase in premature deaths in citizens of the KSA associated with the Gulf War–related increase in PM air pollution levels. Meta-analysis of daily time-series studies of non-accidental mortality associated with increased PM₁₀ levels using two alternative methodologies yielded exposure-response relative risk functions of 2.7% and 3.5% per 50 μ g/m³ increase in PM₁₀ concentration. Combining these exposure-response functions with estimates of the magnitude and duration of the increased PM₁₀ exposure, the size of the exposed population and baseline mortality rates provided an estimate of approximately 1,080 to 1,370 excess non-accidental deaths of Saudi citizens during 1991–1992 associated with the Gulf War–related increase in PM levels.     

Family perceptions of post-deployment healthcare needs of Iraq/Afghanistan military personnel

Nearly 40 000 service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered traumatic injuries, with over 300 000 at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychiatric problems. These veterans face numerous post-deployment health concerns, sharing substantial burdens with their families. Although many rely upon community-based health care, little is known about how these individuals present at family medicine clinics for perceived medical and psychological issues. We surveyed 347 patients during visits at six clinics, and respondents reported whether they,a family member or a close acquaintance had been deployed since 2001. Patients identified traumatic military experiences, plus any attributable health or social problems. The mean patient age was 47.5 years, with 71% women and 55% Hispanic individuals. Nearly one-quarter reported family members serving overseas while 52% knew someone deployed. Significant events included nearby explosion (21%) or combat injury (9%), along with a variety of other incidents. Among the half of individuals perceiving significant health or social ramifications, the most prevalent consequences were PTSD, depression and alcohol abuse. Divorce or marital problems were noted by13%, while many reported employment, legal or other difficulties. This study offers insights into post-deployment needs of military personnel and subsequent problems reported by family members. A high prevalence of traumatic combat events translated into serious health needs, plus social disruptions for veterans and their loved ones. As the long-term problems disclosed by returning service personnel continue to ripple across community clinics and other health systems, effective treatment planning mandates coordinated attention from multiple providers and service organisations.     

Neurotoxicity of depleted uranium

Depleted uranium (DU) is a byproduct of the enrichment process of uranium for its more radioactive isotopes to be used in nuclear energy. Because DU is pyrophoric and a dense metal with unique features when combined in alloys, it is used by the military in armor and ammunitions. There has been significant public concern regarding the use of DU by such armed forces, and it has been hypothesized to play a role in Gulf War syndrome. In light of experimental evidence from cell cultures, rats, and humans, there is justification for such concern. However, there are limited data on the neurotoxicity of DU. This review reports on uranium uses and its published health effects, with a major focus on in vitro and in vivo studies that escalate concerns that exposure to DU might be associated with neurotoxic health sequelae.